Astronomy 101 The Solar System Tuesday, Thursday 2:30-3:45 pm Hasbrouck 20 Tom Burbine [email protected]

Course • Course Website: – http://blogs.umass.edu/astron101-tburbine/

• Textbook: – Pathways to Astronomy (2nd Edition) by Stephen Schneider and Thomas Arny. • You also will need a calculator.

All presentations • Will be online before class • You do not have to copy down every word I write

Goals of the Class • To learn about the Solar System, the forces acting within it, and life throughout the galaxy and universe: – – – – – – – –

The planets (including the Earth) The moons Asteroids, comets, and meteorites The Sun The Sky Gravity Energy Life on other planets

How can I tell if you have learned something? • You can answer questions correctly on an exam

Grading • 80% – Top 4 of 5 Exam Scores (Exam #1, Exam #2, Exam #3, Exam #4, Final) Sept. 24 Oct. 22 Nov. 12 Dec. 3 • 20% – Homework • A missed exam can only be made up with a Doctor’s excuse or Dean’s excuse.

Grading • • • • • • • • • •

A (92.50 – 100) A- (89.50 – 92.49) B+ (87.50 – 89.49) B (82.50 – 87.49) B- (79.50 – 82.49) C+ (77.50 – 79.49) C (72.50 – 77.49) C- (69.50 – 72.49) D (59.50 – 69.49) F (below 59.49)

Homework • We will use Spark • https://spark.oit.umass.edu/webct/logonDisplay.d owebct • Homework will be due approximately twice a week

Homework #1 (Due September 10) • Find an article concerning a topic concerning the Solar System and write about why you found it interesting. • Include the name of the article and where it was published. • Submit using Spark

Late homework • Homework is due the day it is assigned for • Late homework will be given a grade of zero • If there are problems with handing it in on time, please talk to me in advance

Office Hours • Tuesday, Thursday - 1:15-2:15pm • Lederle Graduate Research Tower C 632

Virtual office hours • You can IM me at tomburbine on AOL

• Student: and who are u? lol Student: u gotta answer cuz i asked first both times tomburbine: why r u Iming me Student: cuz u added my sn for some reason so i wana know why tomburbine: sn? Student: screen name? Student: lol tomburbine: no I didnt Student: ok.. tomburbine: do u live in massachusetts? Student: do u? tomburbine: do u live in cambridge? Student: no tomburbine: is it snowing? Student: yea tomburbine: do u have a xnga? Student: no joke who the f**k are ya? Student: yes i do live in MA tomburbine: i never heard of u until u Imed me Student: then how the h**l did u know i lived in MA?

• Student: and yes i do go to umass tomburbine: r u in astronomy 100 Student: how do u know all this? tomburbine: because I am the professor Student: OHHHHH OOOPS! tomburbine: i think u must have added me Student: omg lol tomburbine: and then forgot who I was Student: ya i did Student: sorry for all that tomburbine: my name is my screen name tomburbine: seem familar now Student: didnt mean to use language but it happened tomburbine: no problem tomburbine: funny Student: heh tomburbine: i actually dont know who u r Student: good thing we got an exta 2 days for the hw tomburbine: yes tomburbine: u can Im me anytime tomburbine: and Student: ill tell ya if u promiss not to fail me tomburbine: I cant add my name to ur aim tomburbine: only u can tomburbine: i am fine not knowing Student: ok Student: well i have to go ill cya on thursday. take care tomburbine: bye!

Why should we learn about the Solar System? • http://www.thisistheend.com/2009/08/the-ihc-onthe-tv.php

Now • We take a short quiz

Mnemonics • My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nachos • My Very Eager Mother Just Served Us Nine Pizzas • Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, Pluto

Things we will discuss today: What is a planet? Why is there a discussion on the number of planets in the solar system?

What is a planet? • Complicated definition - “A celestial body orbiting a star or stellar remnant that is massive enough to be rounded by its own gravity, is not massive enough to cause thermonuclear fusion, and has cleared its neighboring region of planetesimals.” • Simpler definition - A “large” object that orbits a star and shines primarily by reflecting light from its star.

Planets • Ancients called them “Wandering Stars” • Stars remain motionless in relation to each other • Planets shift their positions relative to the stars

Mars

http://apod.nasa.gov/apod/ap060419.html

star cluster - Messier 35 (M35)

Moon • Natural satellite that orbits around a planet Moon

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Full_Moon_Luc_Viatour.jpg

How many planets are there now in the Solar System?

Number? • • • • • •

8? 9? 11? 12? Tens? Hundreds?

Why was there a discussion on how many planets exist in our solar system?

136199 Eris was discovered • In 2005, an object a little larger than Pluto was announced to have been discovered • Originally called 2003 UB313 • Also Eris was found to have a moon called Dysnomia Three frames over three hours.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Animation_showing_movement_of_2003_UB313.gif

Hubble Space Telescope

http://www.planetary.org/explore/topics/trans_neptunian_objects/eris.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Eris_Orbit.svg

What were the original “unofficial” names for Eris and Dysnomia

original “unofficial” names for Eris and Dysnomia • “Xena” and “Gabrielle” • But there are rules:

http://www.blog.speculist.com/archives/Xena%20&%20Gabrielle.jpg

Rules • Couldn’t call it Persephone (wife of Pluto) – Already an asteroid named after Persephone

• International Astronomical Union (IAU) regulations require a name from creation mythology for objects with orbital stability beyond Neptune’s orbit – goddess Eris, goddess of strife and discord – Dysnomia is daughter of Eris – English translation of "Dysnomia“ is "lawlessness," like Lucy Lawless

Why is it important that Eris has a Moon?

Why is it important that Eris has a Moon? • The moon allows you to calculate Eris’ mass • The orbital speed of Dysnomia (plus the distance of the moon from Eris) allows you to calculate Eris’ mass • Eris is 27% more massive than Pluto • Size of Eris is harder to determine but is approximately 2397 km (+100 km) (Pluto is 2306 km in diameter)

Meeting that decided new planet definition • • • •

Astronomy 2006 - IAU XXVIth General Assembly Prague August 14-25, 2006 About 2,400 astronomers attended the meeting

Initial Proposal • "A planet is a celestial body that (a) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and (b) is in orbit around a star, and is neither a star nor a satellite of a planet." What would then qualify as a planet?

• Pluto and at least three other bodies would be considered planets – 1 Ceres (an asteroid) – 136199 Eris – slightly bigger than Pluto – Charon

• What is Charon?

Charon • Charon is the largest moon of Pluto • 240 natural satellites in the solar system • 166 orbiting the eight planets

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Moons_of_solar_system_v7.jpg

Charon • Charon is half the diameter of Pluto • Center of mass of this system is outside Pluto • Double planet system 1978

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Charon_Discovery.jpg

1996 – Hubble Space Telescope

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Pluto_and_charon.jpg

2006 • The IAU now defines "planet" as a celestial body that: – (a) is in orbit around the Sun, – (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, and – (c) has cleared the neighborhood around its orbit.

~400 people voted

http://www.nature.com/nature/journal/v442/n7106/images/442965a-i1.0.jpg

http://www.plutoisaplanet.com/index_files/image004.jpg

• A "dwarf planet" is a celestial body that – (a) is in orbit around the Sun, – (b) has sufficient mass for its self-gravity to overcome rigid body forces so that it assumes a hydrostatic equilibrium (nearly round) shape, – (c) has not cleared the neighborhood around its orbit, and – (d) is not a satellite.

• All other objects except satellites orbiting the Sun shall be referred to collectively as "Small SolarSystem Bodies".

Problems • “Any definition that allows a planet in one location but not another is unworkable. Take Earth. Move it to Pluto’s orbit, and it will be instantly disqualified as a planet.” (Allan Stern) • What does clear the neighborhood really mean? – Earth, Mars, Jupiter and Neptune all have asteroids as neighbors (in similar orbits)

• Five bodies which fulfill the first three conditions but not the fourth (Charon) are now classified as dwarf planets: – Ceres, Pluto, 136199 Eris, 136472 Makemake, and 136108 Haumea

http://web.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/dwarfplanets/

?

http://web.gps.caltech.edu/~mbrown/dwarfplanets/

How many planets are known to exist outside the solar system?

How many planets are known to exist outside the solar system? • There have been more than three hundred planets (373 as of yesterday) discovered orbiting other stars to date.

Does it really matter what is a planet and what isn’t?

• up to 1500 - seven (Moon, Mercury, Venus, Sun, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn) - Geocentric model • 1550 - six (with Earth, without Moon and Sun) - Heliocentric model • 1781 - seven (with Uranus) • 1807 - eleven (with Ceres, Pallas, Juno and Vesta) • 1845 - twelve (with Astraea) • 1846 - thirteen (with Neptune) • 1851 - eight (without the asteroids) • 1930 - nine (with Pluto) • 2006 - eight (without Pluto) – From wikipedia

What is a star?

What is a star? • A large glowing ball of gas that generates heat and light though nuclear fusion in its core • Stars manufacture high-mass elements (carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, iron, etc.)

Metric System • Any system of measurement needs three fundamental units – Length - meter – Mass - kilogram – Time - second

Things you need to know because we will use the metric system • • • • •

one kilometer is 5/8 of a mile one meter is approximately a yard or 3 feet 1 kg (mass) is equivalent to 2.2 pounds (force) on Earth We will use the metric system in this class Does anybody remember the Mars Climate Orbiter?

Mars Climate Orbiter • Software calculated forces for the thrusters in English units (pounds). • People controlling the spacecraft thought the calculated forces were in Newtons (metric). (One English pound of force equals 4.45 Newtons.) • Changes made to the spacecraft's trajectory were actually 4.45 times greater than what the JPL navigation team believed. • The spacecraft missed its intended 140 150 km altitude above Mars during orbit insertion, instead entering the Martian atmosphere at about 57 km. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Mars_Climate_Orbiter_2.jpg • The spacecraft was destroyed

Any Questions?